Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-11-12
but what is evil. For thy own sake do MOI

put away that which stands between Us
md our ends? Then Is our life one long
crime, my Holly; for day by day we de-
stroy that we may live, since in this world
none save the strongest can endure. Those
who are weak must perish: the earth is to
the strong, and fruits thereof. For every
tree that grows a score shall wither, that
the strong ones may take their share. We
run to place and power over the dead bod
les Of those who fail and fall; ay, we win
the food we eat from out the mouths or
starving babies. 1t is the scheme Of things.
Thou sayest, too, that n crime breeds evil.
but therein thou dost lack experience; for
out OF crimes come many good things, and
out OF good grows much evil The cruel
rage OF the tyrant may prove n blessing TO
thousands who come after him, and the
sweet-heartedness Of a holy man may make
n nation slaves. Man doeth this and doeth
that from the good or evil of his heart, but
he knoweth not TO what end his moral
sense doth prompt him; for when he strik-
eth he Is blind TO where the blow shall
fall, nor can he count the airy threads that
weave the web Of circumstance. Good and
evil, love and hate, night and day, sweet
and bitter, man and woman, heaven above
and the earth beneath-all these things
are necessary, n to the other, and who
knows the end of eachs / tell thee that
there is q hand of Fate that twines them
up to bear the burden of it's purpose, and
all things are gathered in hat great rope
TO which all things are needful. Therefore
doth IL not become Us TO say this thing is
evil and this good, or the dark ia hateful
and the light lovely; for to other eyes "a
ours the evil may be the good, and the
darkness more beautiful than the day, or
all alike be fair. Nearest thou, my Hollyp"
felt it was hopeless TO argue against
~casuistry Of this nature, which, if it were
carried 10 its logical conclusion, would alb
s~olutely destroy all mortality, as we I'M
derstand it. But her talk gave me n fresh
thrill Of fear, for what may not be possible
TO a being who, unconstrained by human
law, is also absolutely unshackled by a
moral sense OF right and wrong, which,
however partial and conventional it may
be, is yet based, rs our conscience tells us,
upon the great wall Of individual response
bility that marks off mankind from the
beasts.
Blu / was deeply anxious to save Ustane,
whom I liked n respected, from the dire
fate that overshadowed her at the hands
of her mighty rival. So | made one more
appeal.
"Ayesha," ! said, "thou art too subtle
for me, but thou myself hast told me that
each man should be n law unto himself,
and follow the teaching Of his heart. Hath
thy heart no mercy for her whose place
thou wouldst takep Bethink thee, as hou
~sayest-though to me the thing is incredi-
ble-he whom thou desirest has returned
TO thee after many years, n but now thou
hast, as thou sayest also, wrung him from
the jaws Of death. Wilt thou celebrate
his coming by the murder Of one who loved
him, and whom perchance, he loved-one,
at any rate, who saved his life for thee
when the spears Of thy slaves would have
made an end thereof Thou sayest also
that in past days thou didst grievously
wrong this man, that with thine own hand
thou didst Stay him because of the Egyp-
tan Amenartas. whom he loved"
How knowest thou that, oh, stranger,
How knowest thou that name? spoke ii
not to thee" she broke in with acry, catch.
ing at my arm.
''Perchance I dreamed It," / answered,
"strange dreams do hover about these
caves of Kor. It seems that the dream
was, indeed, a shadow Of the truth. What
came to thee OF thy mad crtmef-two
thousand years of waiting, was it not9 and
now'wouldst thou repeat the history Say
what thou wilt. / tell thee that evil viii
come of it; for to him who doeth, at the
least, good breeds good and evil evil, even
though in after days out OF evil cometb
good. Offenses must needs come, but woe
to him by whom the offense cometh. So
said that Messiah of whom / spoke TO thee,
and it was truly said. If thou slayest this
innocent woman, / say unto thee that thou
shalt be accused, n pluck no fruit from
thine ancient tree Of love. Also, what
thinkest thou? How will this man take
shee r~ed-handed from the slaughter of her
who loved and tended him"
GAS TO that" she answered, 81 have al
ready answered thee. Had / slain thee as
well as her, yet should he love me, Holly,
becaues he could not help himself, any
more than thou oouldst help dying. IL by
chance / slew thee, oh, Holly. And yet
maybe there is truth in what thou dost
say; for in some way it p~resseth on nay
mind. If 1t may he, / will spare this wom-
an; for have l not told thee that am not
cruel for the sake of crueltyf love not to
see suffering, or to cause II. Let her come
before me-quick, now, before my o
changes" and she hastily covered her face
with It's gauzy wrapping.
Well pleased TO have succeeded even TO
this extent, / passed out int the passage
and called to Ustane, whose white garment
| caught sight Of some yards away, hud-
died up against one OF the e~arthenware
lamps that were placed ut intervals along
the tunnel She rose, and ran toward me.
us my lord dead' Oh, say not he Is
dead, " she cried, lifting her noble-looking
face, all stained as it was with tears, up 10
me with an afr of infinite beseochtng hat
went straight to my heart.
Nay; he lives" / answered. "ShS hath
saved him. Enter"
She sighed deeply, and entered, and fell
upon her hands and knees, after the custom
Of tho A~mahagger people, In the presence
70 the dread She.
Stand" said Ayesha, in her coolest
voice, and come hither."
Ustane obeyed, standing before her with
bowed head.
Then came a pause, which she broke.
"Who is this manf' she said, pointingto
the sleeping form of Leo.
The man Is my husband, !" shs answered
In a low voice.
'Who gave him to thee for a ~husbandS
IL took him according TO tho custom or
our country, oh, She"
"Thou hast done evil, woman, I'm taking
this man, who Is q stranger. He Is not a